...this is the Baby Jesus cake with the darlin's cousin. Love these sweet traditions to look forward to each year!

...little darlin' gets to open a gift for herself and chew on some paper!

...this is the oldest darlin's big time friend-see all those happy teeth!

...I made my sweet sister a collage of our vintage family photos for her birthday...

...these two darlin's love to share gooey kisses!

...the smallest darlin' in her holiday bonnet. These baby blues get me every time. Seriously.

...we celebrated our littlest darlin's first Christmas!

...we made fossils in the dough with our creatures...

...we finally got to hang all SIX stockings on the mantle! Yurrah!

...we colored, made pencil drawings and wrote thank you letters.

...we learned about peoples around the globe...

...we played with good ole playdoh-don't you love the smell of that stuff?! Reminds me of childhood.

...we made ornaments to give our friends for Christmas and some of them gave us ornaments right back!

...this darlin' had a girlfriend over for "tea"!

...the darlin's all wanted to wear their daddy's triathlon helmet. Oh joy, another opportunity to learn about taking turns...

...we tempted fate and took the darlin's to a historic home for Christmas-what a gorgeous place all decorated! thank goodness for grandma and aunt who came along to help with the little fingers!

...darlin's went out to eat with new friends...

...and behaved themselves!!!

...this is the newest darlin' and she is on the move! Ready or not, here she comes!

...the first darlin' and the last darlin' look much alike ;-) kind of feels like a circle for this Mama!

... this is my sweet sister who helps me out and makes me smile (and sometimes "donkey" laugh)...what else could you wish for in a sister?!

...this is my brother in law and his darlin' goddaughters who think he's tops!

...this is my sweet darlin' and her new best friend...don't they look like they are related? Seriously?

...this is my sweet friend and I with our new babies on a fun playdate-these gals are gonna be best friends for sure just like we are!

...the oldest darlin' went to the homeschool geography fair and it was so cool! Mama learned a lot as usual. This is my secret reason to homeschool so I can catch up!

...this is the darlin's new friend-he is one smart guy with rockstar manners too!

...brothers making tracks anywhere and everywhere TOGETHER FINALLY!!! Ahhh, sharing, it's enough to make a mama cry with joy.

...for Halloween, we went to a fall festival and went on an exciting hayride-no one fell out thank goodness! By the way, these guys started out looking like mean pirates but the costumes apparently cramped their style ;-)

...this is at the fall festival too-one talented soccer darlin'. Wait and see folks, it looks like he has the ball tied to his shoes with string he guards so close!

...there were lots of train layouts in our house this year-and sure to be more in 2011...though hopefully not in my exact pathway!

...there were lots of floor picnics...yummy play food is calorie free!

...Mr. Darcy celebrated his 20th high school reunion. Those guys were lots of fun and we were away from the darlin's long enough to leave me feelin' pretty outside myself!

...one darlin' discovered the wonder of fairyland and wanted to "don" it every single day!

...this darlin's loves him some drama! Mama and boys went to see the production "Annie"!

...Mr Darcy and his boss ran a triathlon and lived to tell about it!

...we had some fun beach days...

...we registered for OLG homeschool again-what would we do without this great group of families!?!?

...Mr. Darcy gave me a commissioned picture of the cathedral, where we were married 14 years ago, for our anniversary and took me out to dinner.

...the darlin's don't wait around for Halloween to pretend play!

...our sweet friends from Virginia came for tea. We missed them as soon as they left!

...the darlin' boys learned to hang around, catwalk, jump to new heights, and flip at gymnastics...

...our darlin' girl discovered a love of tea parties and now makes sweet treats for all the peeps she loves!!!

...my darlin's learned to help each other out...you can't see me in the corner with a tear in my eye, sigh...

...my girl darlin's had their first tea party ever with aunt and grandma along to make it more special! The tea room rocks and so do girlie bonnets and miniature teacups!

...this is my grandma after the baptism reception, and I would be lost without her constant helping hands and sweet affection!

...the Archbishop baptized another darlin' for us this year! He tells the most interesting stories! I love this guy!

...here's our crew at the baptism of the littlest darlin'...

...this is Father's Day-daddy times four! This was a very special Father's Day for our family!

...My daddy and I celebrate his birthday with a bit of lunch and a wiggly new baby...I love this guy!

...this was on Father's Day too...my sister and I love this grandfather-BIG time!

...there was a lot of getting wet and fighting over the hose! See the "drama mama"?!

...I turned 34 this year....sigh.

...this is before we came home from the hospital with our fourth darlin'...

...this is my mother's day present just a few days old! Isn't she adorable all cuddled up in her "wrapping"?

...right after the fourth darlin' was born...our little May baby!

...this is when little girl darlin' discovers she is going to have a sister! Pure joy for everyone since we never find out what we are having ahead of time!

...boy darlin's celebrate their birthday together since they are born a week apart...it was a crazy fun day at the park in the spring with our close family and friends.

...this is Easter before the fourth little darlin' was born. I am not pictured here because the frame was not wide enough to capture the prego mama shot!

...the boys learned to horse around this year "on each other" instead of their daddy. Daddy's back is thrilled, seriously.

...both our boy darlin's fiddled away this year. Did you know they made 'em this small?

Darlin's Shopping Picks

Followers

Things I Like to Remember

It costs God but a thought and lo a soul is wrought, the beauty of a star, a soul excelleth far. -William V. Doyle SJ

For a long time there were only your footprints and laughter in our dreams. -Brian Andreas

And a little child shall lead them. Isaiah 11:16

A babe in a house is a wellspring of pleasure, a messenger of peace and love, a resting place for innocence on earth, a link between angels and men. -Brian Andreas

Do not fear opposition, remember that a kite rises against the wind.

All the things on this earth are put in the charge of an angel.

Suffering produces character.

Be still and know that I am God.

Instincts aid you before logic.

Accept loss to let light shine through.

Quality requires attention.

Clear clutter to make way for new blessings.

Feel true power through acceptance.

Abundance comes through giving.

What you resist persists.

Bloom where you are planted.

Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important.

The best vitamin for making friends...... B1.

The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.

One thing you can give and still keep...is your word.

Your mind is like a parachute...it functions only when open.

The 10 commandments are not a multiple choice.

"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it's called the present." Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962)

Watch for your character. It becomes your destiny.

Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. –William Butler Yeats

We Learn… 10%…of What We Read 20%…of What We Hear 30%…of What We See 50%…of What We See and Hear 70%…of What We Discuss With Others 80%…of What We Experience Personally 95%…of What We Teach Others –William Glasser